The Allies Strike Back and the Stunning Raid
The Doolittle Raid
US bombers attackTokyoand other Japanese cities in April 1942.Yokohama, Kobe, and Nagoya were some of the other cities cities bombed by the US.
Although the raid does little damage, it shows:
Although the bombs only killed approximately 50 people, the raid showed that Japan could be attacked and was not invincible. it boosted the American and Alllied confidence while lowering the confidence of the Japanese. The Doolittle Raid, led by Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle, caused the Japanese to become worried that they had tried to defend too large of an area. They began to believe they had spread their army and resources too wide instead of focusing on one specific area. After the bombing, Japan wanted to secure their defenses by attacking Midway Island, which resulted in the devastating defeat of Japan.
The Allies Turn the Tide
The Japanese ship, shoho, after the American's attack.
What was the significance of the Battle of the Coral Sea?
Both the U.S. and the Japanese used a new kind a naval warfare. The Allies suffered more losses in the battle, but it was somewhat of a victory because they stopped the southward advance of Japan. For the first time in the war the U.S. was feeling some of the momentum shift to them. The Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway were seen as the turning point in the U.S. war with Japan. Before these battles Japan had a string of victories over the U.S. and now the momentum is shifting toward the U.S. with their significant victories. Japan's invincibility seemed to falter. What was the new kind of naval warfare? Explain. For the first time in the history of naval warfare both opposing ships were not in sight of each other the entire battle and did not take a single shot. The whole battle was fought from aircraft carriers, carrying battle planes. This kind of warfare also had its risks; battle planes were difficult to land on carriers, there was no airborne or ship guidance system. The plane navigation was all eyes and ears. Pilots and copilots had to find their target with good vision and manual navigation. Sometimes when pilots could not find their carrier, they ran their planes out of fuel so they are forced to bail out. This was a very chancy business, often the carrier would change course and the planes would have a difficult time finding it again.
The Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was significant because it was the turning point of the war in the Pacific. After losing an astounding 5,000 men, 322 planes, one support ship and four carriers in the Battle of Midway compared to the U.S's loss of 307 men and one carrier, the Japanese went from being a seemingly indomitable opponent to being on the defensive
Japan sent a powerful fleet to capture Midway Island for a variety of reasons; for one, Japan wanted to engage and destroy the U.S after the humiliating defeat at the Battle of the Coral Sea. Japan also decided to attack Midway Island because it was a critical access point to Hawaii, which was a short 1,000 miles away. Another basis for the battle was that both sides wanted to control Midway Island. This was because it was a position that would have given considerable advantage to either side, giving whomever controlled it a desirable position to attack and defend themselves against opponents; and therefore, a great position for an army base. Japan had planned a surprise attack on Midway Island and had hoped that by the time the U.S figured out what had happened and that by the time the U.S forces got out there, that they would not have enough warfare to defeat them and that it would already be too late. This, however, is not what happened; instead, due to some very skilled U.S code breakers, the U.S already knew about the plan to attack. So when Japan began its attack on Midway Island, the U.S was there to surprise them. Also, in the Battle of the Coral Sea, Japan sent two of the six carriers it had on hand to the battle and neither one made it to the Battle of Midway, which had been their original purpose.
Douglas Macarthur was born on January 26, 1880 on the Arsenal base at Little Rock, Arkansas. He was the third son of mother Mary Hardy Macarthur and his father, Arthur Macarthur, who was an important military figure during the Civil War. Throughout his childhood, he was surrounded by the military. In 1899, he was admitted into a military academy in West Point, NY. In 1903, he graduated with high marks and honors and continued to pursue a military career. A year after he graduated, in 1904, he was enlisted to a force in the Philippines, and this was the start of his tour of the Far East. In 1906, when President Theodore Roosevelt was in office, Douglas Macarthur became the aide-de-camp, or the main military aide to the president. In 1913, he was named as part of the president's general staff. During World War I, he served as a colonel of the Rainbow Division. After the war, until 1922, Macarthur worked at his alma mater, the West Point military academy, as the superintendent. In 1930, he was appointed as Chief of Staff in the US Army, a title that he held until 1935. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt sent Macarthur back to the Philippines again in 1935. During his service, he was given the title of lieutenant general and put in charge as the commander of US forces in the Far East in July 1914. In December 1941, he was defeated by the Japanese. This setback was the cause of Macarthur's new plan to crush the Japanese military and end their power in the Pacific region. Following World War II, Macarthur was appointed as supreme commander of the Allied powers in Japan. Given this power by President Truman, Macarthur began to remold Japanese society. He successfully created democratic institutions, trade unions, and reformed civil liberties and rights. He also pioneered the ideas of religious freedom, land reform, and women's rights. Throughout the rest of his life, Macarthur continued to have an active role in military conflicts within the Far East. After about 80 years in the military, Douglas Macarthur died on April 5, 1964 in the Army's Walter Reed Hospital, located in Washington DC.
"Island-hopping"
What did it mean to "island-hop" past strongholds and attack?
After the battle of Midway, the US launched a counter-offensive strike known as island- hopping. This was a two- stage campaign that took place over three years that would push the Japanese Imperial Army back to their home islands. The objective was to capture key islands and establish base on it. This would open alternate supply routes and gave the US an advantage over Japan during the Pacific War. The campaign was lead by General Douglas MacArthur, who was the commander of the allied forces in the Southwest Pacific during WWII. It was also led by Admiral Chester Nimitz, who was the Commander- in- chief of the Pacific fleet.
The first phase started at the beginning of 1943. This consisted of many attacks in which the US would capture islands to get closer to the main land. The battle of Guadalcanal gave the US forces experience with the Japanese and also gave them a solid battle strategy: to bypass and isolate strongholds by capturing smaller islands. This would slowly cut off supply routes and would make the base more venerable to attack. The US forces continually gained islands, and by December of 1943, Phase 1 was complete with US forces advancing steadily on Japan.
The US force gradually kept advancing on Japan, capturing many islands in its wake and working its way up the New Guinea coast. Many battles were fought, including the largest naval engagement in history, the Battle of Leyte. The Japanese attempted to “smash the invasion” and it ended up starting several naval battles that lead to a US victory and the destruction of almost the whole Imperial Japanese Navy.
The Final Phase of the campaign started in 1945 with the largest ground battle during the Pacific War, known as the Battle of Luzon, which lasted from January 9 to July 1. Meanwhile, the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Marine divisions seized Iwo Jima for use as an air base in the bombing campaign of Japan. The final island needed for the US air force to move was an island named Okinawa, just 350 miles from mainland Japan. After two months of bitter fighting, the US finally took the win on June 22.
The US took the final blows on Japan on August 6th and 9th, and with the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, ended one of the greatest wars in US history.
The Battle of Guadalcanal What was the significance of the Battle of Guadalcanal?
On August 7, 1942, two months after the battle of Midway, the 1st Marine Division landed on the island of Guadalcanal, which is located in the Southern part of the Solomon Islands. Their mission was to seize the island for Allied use in offensive operations. There were two reasons why the US wanted to capture Guadalcanal. One reason was because Guadalcanal was part of a three-year campaign to push the Imperial Japanese army back to their home islands. The other reason was because the island would secure an Allied supply route to Australia. At first, the US captured the island easily, but the Japanese brought in reinforcements. Many fierce naval and land battles were fought between the August of 1942 and February of 1943, ultimately leading to a US victory on February 7, 1943. Military analysts now view the battle for Guadalcanal- a joint US-Army-Navy-Marine Corps operation- as a major turning point in the Pacific War from which Japan never recovered (Rice).
The Battle of Guadalcanal started in 1942 when the US was campaigning for an island located in the southern part of the Solomon Islands called Guadalcanal. Guadalcanal was only part of a three-year campaign to push the Imperial Japanese army back to their home islands. However, before the campaign could take place, the US had to "island-hop" it to have a secure Allied supply route to Australia and to start to push the Japanese back. Many naval and land battles were fought between the August of 1942 and February of 1943, ultimately leading to a US victory. "American Troops Land in the Philippines." The WPA Film Library. WMV video file. American History Online.
Facts On File Inc, n.d. Web. 11 May. 2010 Axelrod, Alan. "Battle of Midway." Encyclopedia of World War II, Volume II. New York: Facts On File Inc, 2007. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE53&iPin=WWII0428&SingleRecord=True (accessed May 11, 2010)
“Battle of the Coral Sea.” World War II History Info. N.p., 2001. Web. 8 May 2010.
"Battle of the Coral Sea and Midway." Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. History: War. Ed. Anne Marie Hacht and Dwayne D. Hayes. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale. DUBLIN JEROME HIGH SCHOOL. 7 May. 2010 “Battle of Guadalcanal.” Encyclopedia of American History: The Great Depression and World War II, 1929 to 1945. Eds. John W. Jefferies, Katherine Liapis Segrue, and Gary B. Nash. Vol. 8. New York: Facts on File, Inc, 2003. Print.
Beck, Roger B.,Linda Black, Larry S. Krieger, Phillip C. Naylor and Dahia Ibo Shabaka. Modern World History Patterns of Interaction. Evanston, IL: McDougal Litell, 2005. Print.
"Douglas Macarthur Biography." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 1996-2010. Web. 11 May. 2010.
“Doolittle Tokyo Raid.” Encyclopedia of World War II, Volume I. Ed. Alan Axelrod. New York: 2007. Modern World History Online. Web. 5 May 2010.
Duffy, Michael, ed. "Encyclopedia- The Rainbow Division." firstworldwar.com. n.p., 2000-2009. Web. 10 May. 2010.
"FREE General Macarthur video clip." Encyclomedia. EncycloMedia.com. 2007.Web. 12 May. 2010.
"General Douglas Macarthur (1880-1964)." American Experience. PBS WGBH Educational Foundation, 1996-2009 Web. 11 May. 2010. Grace, James W. The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal: Night Action, 13 November 1992. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1999. Print.
Hastedt, Glenn. "Douglas MacArthur, influence on foreign policy of." Encyclopedia of American Foreign Policy. New York: Facts On File, Inc, 2004. American History Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 11 May. 2010. "Island Hopping." United States History. Online Highways LLC. 2001-2010. Web. 11 May. 2010.
Ireland, Bernard. Naval History of World War II. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1998. Print.
“James H. Doolittle.” B-29s Over Korea. 601MEDIA, n.d. Web. 12 May. 2010.
“Japanese Atrocities during World War II.” Encyclopedia of World War II, vol. I. Ed. Alan Axelrod. New York: 2007. Modern World History Online. Web. 5 may 2010.
Kappler, Frank K. LIFE: World War II. Canada: Little, Brown, 1990. Print.
“Raid on Tokyo, 1942.” An Encyclopedia of Naval History. Ed. Anthony Bruce and William Coger. New York: Facts on File, 1997. American History Online. Web. 5 May 2010.
“Raid on Tokyo, 1942.” Encyclopedia of American Military History. Ed. Eric W. Osborne. New York: Facts on File, 2003. American History Online. Web. 5 May 2010. Rice, Earle. World War II: Strategic Battles in the Pacific. San Diego: Lucent Books, 2000. Print.
Thacker, J. W. "MacArthur, Douglas." In Tucker, Spencer C., gen. ed. Encyclopedia of American Military History. New York: Facts On File, Inc, 2003. American History Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 11 May. 2010. U.S. Navy. “Battle of the Coral Sea, 7-8 May 1942 Overview and Special Image Selection.” Naval History and Heritage Command. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 May 2010. Van der Vat, Dan. Pearl Harbor the Day of Infamy-an Illustrated History. : BasicBooks, 2001.
“Wars and Battles, 1942-1945 – Pacific Theater, World War II.” USHistory.com. Online Highways, 2001-2010. Web. 5 May 2010.
“World War II in the Pacific.” Encyclopedia of Wars, vol. 3. Ed. Charles Phillips and Alan Axelrod. New York: 2005. Modern World History Online. Web. 5 May 2010.
“World War II in the Pacific Theater.” Encyclopedia of American History: The Great Depression and World War II, 1929 to 1945. Eds. John W. Jefferies, Katherine Liapis Segrue, and Gary B. Nash. Vol. 8. New York: Facts on File, Inc, 2003. Print.
The Doolittle Raid
US bombers attack Tokyo and other Japanese cities in April 1942. Yokohama, Kobe, and Nagoya were some of the other cities cities bombed by the US.
Although the raid does little damage, it shows:
Although the bombs only killed approximately 50 people, the raid showed that Japan could be attacked and was not invincible. it boosted the American and Alllied confidence while lowering the confidence of the Japanese. The Doolittle Raid, led by Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle, caused the Japanese to become worried that they had tried to defend too large of an area. They began to believe they had spread their army and resources too wide instead of focusing on one specific area. After the bombing, Japan wanted to secure their defenses by attacking Midway Island, which resulted in the devastating defeat of Japan.
The Allies Turn the Tide
What was the significance of the Battle of the Coral Sea?
Both the U.S. and the Japanese used a new kind a naval warfare. The Allies suffered more losses in the battle, but it was somewhat of a victory because they stopped the southward advance of Japan. For the first time in the war the U.S. was feeling some of the momentum shift to them. The Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway were seen as the turning point in the U.S. war with Japan. Before these battles Japan had a string of victories over the U.S. and now the momentum is shifting toward the U.S. with their significant victories. Japan's invincibility seemed to falter.
What was the new kind of naval warfare? Explain.
For the first time in the history of naval warfare both opposing ships were not in sight of each other the entire battle and did not take a single shot. The whole battle was fought from aircraft carriers, carrying battle planes. This kind of warfare also had its risks; battle planes were difficult to land on carriers, there was no airborne or ship guidance system. The plane navigation was all eyes and ears. Pilots and copilots had to find their target with good vision and manual navigation. Sometimes when pilots could not find their carrier, they ran their planes out of fuel so they are forced to bail out. This was a very chancy business, often the carrier would change course and the planes would have a difficult time finding it again.
The Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was significant because it was the turning point of the war in the Pacific. After losing an astounding 5,000 men, 322 planes, one support ship and four carriers in the Battle of Midway compared to the U.S's loss of 307 men and one carrier, the Japanese went from being a seemingly indomitable opponent to being on the defensiveJapan sent a powerful fleet to capture Midway Island for a variety of reasons; for one, Japan wanted to engage and destroy the U.S after the humiliating defeat at the Battle of the Coral Sea. Japan also decided to attack Midway Island because it was a critical access point to Hawaii, which was a short 1,000 miles away. Another basis for the battle was that both sides wanted to control Midway Island. This was because it was a position that would have given considerable advantage to either side, giving whomever controlled it a desirable position to attack and defend themselves against opponents; and therefore, a great position for an army base. Japan had planned a surprise attack on Midway Island and had hoped that by the time the U.S figured out what had happened and that by the time the U.S forces got out there, that they would not have enough warfare to defeat them and that it would already be too late. This, however, is not what happened; instead, due to some very skilled U.S code breakers, the U.S already knew about the plan to attack. So when Japan began its attack on Midway Island, the U.S was there to surprise them. Also, in the Battle of the Coral Sea, Japan sent two of the six carriers it had on hand to the battle and neither one made it to the Battle of Midway, which had been their original purpose.
An Allied Offensive and MacArthur's Plan
Douglas Macarthur
Watch General MacArthur at EncycloMedia.com
Who was Douglas Macarthur?
"Island-hopping"
What did it mean to "island-hop" past strongholds and attack?After the battle of Midway, the US launched a counter-offensive strike known as island- hopping. This was a two- stage campaign that took place over three years that would push the Japanese Imperial Army back to their home islands. The objective was to capture key islands and establish base on it. This would open alternate supply routes and gave the US an advantage over Japan during the Pacific War. The campaign was lead by General Douglas MacArthur, who was the commander of the allied forces in the Southwest Pacific during WWII. It
The first phase started at the beginning of 1943. This consisted of many attacks in which the US would capture islands to get closer to the main land. The battle of Guadalcanal gave the US forces experience with the Japanese and also gave them a solid battle strategy: to bypass and isolate strongholds by capturing smaller islands. This would slowly cut off supply routes and would make the base more venerable to attack. The US forces continually gained islands, and by December of 1943, Phase 1 was complete with US forces advancing steadily on Japan.
The US force gradually kept advancing on Japan, capturing many islands in its wake and working its way up the New Guinea coast. Many battles were fought, including the largest naval engagement in history, the Battle of Leyte. The Japanese attempted to “smash the invasion” and it ended up starting several naval battles that lead to a US victory and the destruction of almost the whole Imperial Japanese Navy.
The Final Phase of the campaign started in 1945 with the largest ground battle during the Pacific War, known as the Battle of Luzon, which lasted from January 9 to July 1. Meanwhile, the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Marine divisions seized Iwo Jima for use as an air base in the bombing campaign of Japan. The final island needed for the US air force to move was an island named Okinawa, just 350 miles from mainland Japan. After two months of bitter fighting, the US finally took the win on June 22.
The US took the final blows on Japan on August 6th and 9th, and with the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, ended one of the greatest wars in US history.
The Battle of Guadalcanal
On August 7, 1942, two months after the battle of Midway, the 1st Marine Division landed on the island of Guadalcanal, which is located in the Southern part of the Solomon Islands. Their mission was to seize the island for Allied use in offensive operations. There were two reasons why the US wanted to capture Guadalcanal. One reason was because Guadalcanal was part of a three-year campaign to push the Imperial Japanese army back to their home isla
The Battle of Guadalcanal started in 1942 when the US was campaigning for an island located in the southern part of the Solomon Islands called Guadalcanal. Guadalcanal was only part of a three-year campaign to push the Imperial Japanese army back to their home islands. However, before the campaign could take place, the US had to "island-hop" it to have a secure Allied supply route to Australia and to start to push the Japanese back. Many naval and land battles were fought between the August of 1942 and February of 1943, ultimately leading to a US victory.
"American Troops Land in the Philippines." The WPA Film Library. WMV video file. American History Online.
Facts On File Inc, n.d. Web. 11 May. 2010
Axelrod, Alan. "Battle of Midway." Encyclopedia of World War II, Volume II. New York: Facts On File Inc, 2007. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE53&iPin=WWII0428&SingleRecord=True (accessed May 11, 2010)
“Battle of the Coral Sea.” World War II History Info. N.p., 2001. Web. 8 May 2010.
"Battle of the Coral Sea and Midway." Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. History: War. Ed. Anne Marie Hacht and Dwayne D. Hayes. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale. DUBLIN JEROME HIGH SCHOOL. 7 May. 2010
“Battle of Guadalcanal.” Encyclopedia of American History: The Great Depression and World War II, 1929 to 1945. Eds. John W. Jefferies, Katherine Liapis Segrue, and Gary B. Nash. Vol. 8. New York: Facts on File, Inc, 2003. Print.
Beck, Roger B.,Linda Black, Larry S. Krieger, Phillip C. Naylor and Dahia Ibo Shabaka. Modern World History Patterns of Interaction. Evanston, IL: McDougal Litell, 2005. Print.
"Douglas Macarthur Biography." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 1996-2010. Web. 11 May. 2010.
“Doolittle Tokyo Raid.” Encyclopedia of World War II, Volume I. Ed. Alan Axelrod. New York: 2007. Modern World History Online. Web. 5 May 2010.
Duffy, Michael, ed. "Encyclopedia- The Rainbow Division." firstworldwar.com. n.p., 2000-2009. Web. 10 May. 2010.
"FREE General Macarthur video clip." Encyclomedia. EncycloMedia.com. 2007.Web. 12 May. 2010.
"General Douglas Macarthur (1880-1964)." American Experience. PBS WGBH Educational Foundation, 1996-2009 Web. 11 May. 2010.
Grace, James W. The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal: Night Action, 13 November 1992. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1999. Print.
Hastedt, Glenn. "Douglas MacArthur, influence on foreign policy of." Encyclopedia of American Foreign Policy. New York: Facts On File, Inc, 2004. American History Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 11 May. 2010.
"Island Hopping." United States History. Online Highways LLC. 2001-2010. Web. 11 May. 2010.
Ireland, Bernard. Naval History of World War II. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1998. Print.
“James H. Doolittle.” B-29s Over Korea. 601MEDIA, n.d. Web. 12 May. 2010.
“Japanese Atrocities during World War II.” Encyclopedia of World War II, vol. I. Ed. Alan Axelrod. New York: 2007. Modern World History Online. Web. 5 may 2010.
Kappler, Frank K. LIFE: World War II. Canada: Little, Brown, 1990. Print.
“Raid on Tokyo, 1942.” An Encyclopedia of Naval History. Ed. Anthony Bruce and William Coger. New York: Facts on File, 1997. American History Online. Web. 5 May 2010.
“Raid on Tokyo, 1942.” Encyclopedia of American Military History. Ed. Eric W. Osborne. New York: Facts on File, 2003. American History Online. Web. 5 May 2010.
Rice, Earle. World War II: Strategic Battles in the Pacific. San Diego: Lucent Books, 2000. Print.
Thacker, J. W. "MacArthur, Douglas." In Tucker, Spencer C., gen. ed. Encyclopedia of American Military History. New York: Facts On File, Inc, 2003. American History Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 11 May. 2010.
U.S. Navy. “Battle of the Coral Sea, 7-8 May 1942 Overview and Special Image Selection.” Naval History and Heritage Command. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 May 2010.
Van der Vat, Dan. Pearl Harbor the Day of Infamy-an Illustrated History. : BasicBooks, 2001.
“Wars and Battles, 1942-1945 – Pacific Theater, World War II.” USHistory.com. Online Highways, 2001-2010. Web. 5 May 2010.
“World War II in the Pacific.” Encyclopedia of Wars, vol. 3. Ed. Charles Phillips and Alan Axelrod. New York: 2005. Modern World History Online. Web. 5 May 2010.
“World War II in the Pacific Theater.” Encyclopedia of American History: The Great Depression and World War II, 1929 to 1945. Eds. John W. Jefferies, Katherine Liapis Segrue, and Gary B. Nash. Vol. 8. New York: Facts on File, Inc, 2003. Print.